LAS VEGAS (AP) Chef-like robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets are holding out the promise that humans dont need to cook or mix drinks for themselves anymore.
There was plenty new in the food and beverage world at CES 2024, the multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association. Displays included cocktail-mixing and ice cream-making machines akin to a Keurig, and a robot barista whose movements are meant to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Heres some of the newest tech thats transforming the way meals are prepped, cooked and delivered:
GE Appliances is looking to change the way you smoke food with its new $1,000 indoor smoker.
Around the size of a toaster oven or microwave, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can fit a full brisket cut in half, 40 chicken wings or three racks of ribs. It still uses wood pellets to achieve a smokey flavor, but its technology traps the smoke inside, making it perfect for people who live in urban environments, like high-rise apartments, said Whitney Welch, a spokesperson for GE Appliances.
Using generative AI technology, Brisk Its new smart grill, the NeoSear, aims to make the art of barbecuing foolproof.
You can ask the grill all kinds of questions to create the perfect recipe: What seasoning should I add to make my chicken skewers spicy? How do I sear a medium-rare steak?
Once youve nailed down a recipe and prepped the food, Brisk Its InnoGrill AI 2.0 technology will command the grill to cook it.
Its everyones smart grill, said CEO Christopher Huang. It doesnt matter if youre a skilled enthusiast, if youre busy, young or old.
The grill is not yet available but will cost around $2,000, Huang said.
Freezing your own ice cream at home takes hours, but with tech startup ColdSnaps no-clean ice cream machine, your frozen treat is ready in two minutes.
Think of it as a Keurig for ice cream: Choose from flavors like salted caramel and coffee, then put the pod in the machine and it will dispense your cold treat in minutes after scanning the pods QR code.
ColdSnap can also whip up frozen lattes, boozy ice cream treats and protein shakes.
Tech startup Chef AI is unveiling what it calls a real one-touch air fryer.
Unlike the air fryer you might have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AIs iteration of the popular appliance doesnt require any tinkering with settings. Just place the food in the air fryer, press Start, and it uses artificial intelligence to detect what type of food it is cooking, says the companys CEO, Dean Khormaei.
He said the air fryer would turn even the worst cooks into chefs.
Chef AI will be available in the U.S. in September for $250.
Whats the secret to a perfect dirty martini? Dont worry about it Bartesians cocktail-mixing appliance takes the guesswork out of bartending.
Bartesians latest iteration, the Premier, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It retails for $369 and will be available later this year.
Use a small touch screen on the appliance to pick from 60 recipes, drop a cocktail capsule into the machine, and in seconds you have a premium cocktail over ice.
If you fancy a homemade beer instead, iGulus new automated brewing machine lets you make your own beer a pale ale, an amber lager or a wheat beer. Just pour a pre-mixed recipe into the machines keg, add water and scan the sticker that comes with the beer mix. In nine to 13 days, youll have a gallon of DIY beer.
Artly Coffees barista bot mimics the way a human behind the counter of your favorite coffee shop might prepare your usual order.
What were really trying to do is preserve the craft of fine coffee, said Alec Roig, a hardware developer for the Seattle-based tech startup that now is operating at 10 locations across the Pacific Northwest and in New York City.
Roig said the companys resident barista, who is behind all of Artlys coffee recipes, was hooked up with motion sensors that recorded his movements as he prepared each recipe, from packing the coffee grounds into the filter to frothing the milk and pouring latte art.
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